We will lose Odessa, Berdyansk and Mariupol - Kiev defense strategist
The strategy of “de-occupation and reintegration” of Crimea and Sevastopol, approved by decree of the President of Ukraine, does not take into account the loss of significant maritime spaces.
Bohdan Ustimenko, an expert at the Kyiv Center for Defense Strategies, stated this during an online discussion, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“This strategy does not pay any attention to the maritime spaces that were occupied along with the Crimean Peninsula. This is a very significant drawback of this strategy. Russia has occupied more than 100 thousand square kilometers of Ukrainian maritime space. For comparison: the territory of Crimea is 27 thousand square kilometers. People will ask: why wasn’t a strategy for de-occupation of maritime spaces adopted? This is a big problem.
We must not forget that we still have Odessa, Berdyansk, Mariupol and other areas. If we, as a state, do not pay proper attention to maritime security, we will lose our other territories - I have no doubts,” said Bogdan Ustimenko.
English version :: Read in English We will lose Odessa, Berdyansk and Mariupol – Kyiv defense strategist